Strange Horticulture, an intriguing detective game that debuted in 2022, is currently free on the Epic Games Store until August 28, allowing more players to explore its mysterious narrative. Set in the alt-history Lake District town of Undermere, the game invites players to run a plant shop where they must identify various flora based on scant descriptions from a peculiar clientele.
The game cleverly employs a magnifying glass and an eccentric horticultural textbook to help players match the right plants to customers, leading to a dark and eerie unfolding of events. As the days progress, both the clientele and the plants themselves grow stranger, revealing the secrets hidden within Undermere. By mastering plant qualities—from remedial herbs to potentially deadly mushrooms—players can influence the trajectory of the story towards its multiple possible endings.
High Praise and Development Inspirations
Although it primarily involves examining plants, Strange Horticulture has been hailed as one of the best detective games of the decade. It received a score of 90 from PC Gamer, with reviewer Chris Livingston expressing high praise for its innovative approach. "Strange Horticulture is the best detective game I've played in years," Livingston remarked, highlighting the game's unique blend of horticulture and mystery.
Developers John and Rob Donkin drew inspiration from Breverton's Complete Herbal: A Book of Remarkable Plants and Their Uses, which imparts fascinating and unusual plant properties that enrich the game's world. "It's got all these cool plants and they've all got these amazing weird properties and uses," John Donkin recounted in an interview with PC Gamer.
Encouraged by the game's success, a sequel is currently in development, promising to deepen players' investigative experiences in Undermere. This time, the setting will shift from a plant shop to an antique store, with new and more intricate mechanics intended to enhance the player's engagement with the unfolding mystery.
The free availability of Strange Horticulture on the Epic Games Store provides an excellent opportunity for new players to slip into the role of Undermere's mysterious plant shop owner and discover what lies behind the town's peculiar facade.
